The War In His Mind

Chapter 34

Isaiah stood in his penthouse overlooking Uptown. His corporation's headquarters was the second largest building in the city, dwarfed only by the command tower in the center. He held a glass of scotch in his hand and a cigarette in the other. He inhaled a breathe from the cigarette stared at a weird device on a workbench. It was a computer of sorts, hooked up to many other computers. Isaiah had read about it before. It was something that connected all digital realms together. Something that was blocked off from Wonder City. In the book Isaiah was reading, it was called the Internet. It was a magical force that held all things together. Humanity, before the fall, was dependent on it. For some it was a source of income, for others, it was a mentor and guide. It had accomplished in decades what dictators were trying to do since the beginning of time- eliminate borders and bring the world under one King. Technology. It was the Internet that lead to the rapid rise of globalism. That same phenomenon that lead to humanity prospering, and inevitably falling prey to war and death.

It was a gift, Isaiah thought to himself, that men like Thomas O'Neil would not give up easily. It was a key to open doors where only walls could be seen. O'Neil himself claimed that the gift of the modem to Isaiah was a signing bonus for their deal. Yet Isaiah didn't know why. There was some reason far beyond the scope of the deal. Something that O'Neil had set in motion. Isiah knew this, yet accepted the deal anyways. The thought made him sick. Had he committed treason? Had he betrayed his country for the sake of science? He was no better than the scientists behind the Manhattan project, empowering themselves with great weaponry at the detriment of humanity. Yet all of the good that could come out of the internet could outweigh the bad of the gift.

Isaiah moved his hand over the top of the device. The metallic cover was smooth and well crafted. He appreciated devices that were well crafted. If something was to be done, it was to be done right.

"Oh how we worship you..." Isaiah said. "Oh how we will again place you on a throne before all others."

A knock was heard on his door. It was a brash, violent knock that indicated the visitor wasn't in the best of spirits. Isaiah pressed a button that lowered the machines into a pit and placed a floor tile over them. They were hidden.

He opened the door slowly and stared at two large men who looked exactly like Thomas O'Neil.

"Gentlemen..." Isaiah said as he cautiously opened it further. There was a tremble in his voice. His face twitched as he struggled to make eye contact with his uninvited guests. "What can I do for you?"

Thomas O'Neil, dressed in a black business suit with a velvet red tie emerged from the door. "My end of the deal, Isaiah..."

Isaiah felt the sweat break out on his creased forehead. "Can you give me a few more days?"

O'Neil trotted around his office. He rubbed his fingers along the books on the shelves. "I'm a gracious man..."

He threw three books on the ground in rapid succession. His face transformed from a mild mannered business man to an enraged General on the cusp of defeat. "...but I'm also a business man. I want my god-damn end of the deal."

O'Neil's broad shoulders and honed in eyes burned an image of fear in the back of Isaiah's mind. "Please...Please just..."

O'Neil stood in front of the modem. "I built this for you...didn't I? I gave you a chance to prove yourself...did I not?"

Isiah pulled out the demand forms O'Neil signed stating that two hundred missiles were due within two weeks. "I still have twelve days!"

"The time frame has been moved up."

"Now that isn't fair..."

O'Neil pointed a pistol at the modem. "Would you like to keep your toys? I gave you power and you choose to be lazy!"

"It takes time to make these things!"

"Two days..." O'Neil reluctantly put the pistol away "...I want results."

As quickly as they came, O'Neil and his forces left. Isaiah was all alone in the room. He rushed to the modem to make sure it was in working condition. He pressed all of the buttons to make sure each one was in working order. When he pressed a large button on top, a giant floating cloud appeared in front of him. Fear overwhelmed him. Inside the cloud he could see Wonder City- but it wasn't quite the same. There were different buildings. Different people. Different vehicles. It was as if he was peering into the future. Seconds later the scene transitioned into a world covered in sunlight. There was a vibrant town full of horses and animals running freely. Humans lived alongside them in perfect harmony. It must have been heaven. There was no other option. In that world he saw a man who looked like himself. The two nodded at one another as if they understood they were doppelgangers. The other man spoke to Isaiah. "There are a million worlds, son. All you have to do is find the one you belong in."

Isaiah couldn't believe he was talking to someone in another reality. "What if it doesn't exist?"

"Well...I guess you better create it, huh?"